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San Antonio Express News
May 26 2012
Review: San Antonio Symphony
By David Hendricks
Friday night's (May 25) San Antonio Symphony concert could have been
called `The Philadelphia Story.'
It was not planned that way. The guest violinist was Russian Mikhail
Simonyan, who now lives in Philadelphia. The accidental part comes
from guest conductor Cristian Macelaru, a Romanian who also now lives
in Philly as assistant conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Macelaru did not know he was coming to San Antonio this week until he
was summoned Monday (May 21) to fill in for the originally scheduled
guest conductor Alondra de la Parra of Mexico, who bowed out due to
illness.
San Antonio doesn't often see the high level of visiting, young talent
as it did with the Philadelphia duo, especially when they teamed for
the Aram Khachaturian Violin Concerto at the Majestic Theatre before
an audience of about 1,300.
Simonyan was phenomenal in the difficult, complex concerto, placing
extra emphasis on the folk-song influence in the piece and adding
vigorous, authentic Armenian flavoring. The concerto may have been
written for the Russian master David Oistrakh, but it belongs to
Simonyan now. Simonyan possesses such mastery over the violin that he
could concentrate on expression instead of technique.
The second-movement threnody for an Armenian genocide that occurred
about a century ago was emotionally moving. Simonyan and Macelaru were
in step all the way.
Simonyan followed up his Khachaturian triumph with a solemn encore he
called `An Armenian Prayer,' a traditional piece with an unknown
composer.
In the program's featured piece, Aaron Copland's Symphony No. 3,
Macelaru did everything right as he navigated the polyphonic
cross-currents of melodies that build a quiet sense of dignity
punctuated by full-bloom heroism, especially in the brassy, percussive
`Fanfare for the Common Man' theme that dominates the final movement.
The brass section sometimes was not at its best, but the wind and
percussion sections were outstanding. Macelaru has a strong knack for
bringing out the big moments. He received some of his conductor
training from Rice University's Larry Rachleff, a former San Antonio
Symphony music director, and it shows.
Macelaru's conducting was self-assured throughout the concert,
including a zippy rendition of the familiar `Ruslan and Ludmila'
overture by Mikhail Glinka.
The program will repeat at 8 p.m. Saturday (May 26) at the Majestic Theatre.
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/the-music-beat/2012/05/review-san-antonio-symphony-34/
May 26 2012
Review: San Antonio Symphony
By David Hendricks
Friday night's (May 25) San Antonio Symphony concert could have been
called `The Philadelphia Story.'
It was not planned that way. The guest violinist was Russian Mikhail
Simonyan, who now lives in Philadelphia. The accidental part comes
from guest conductor Cristian Macelaru, a Romanian who also now lives
in Philly as assistant conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Macelaru did not know he was coming to San Antonio this week until he
was summoned Monday (May 21) to fill in for the originally scheduled
guest conductor Alondra de la Parra of Mexico, who bowed out due to
illness.
San Antonio doesn't often see the high level of visiting, young talent
as it did with the Philadelphia duo, especially when they teamed for
the Aram Khachaturian Violin Concerto at the Majestic Theatre before
an audience of about 1,300.
Simonyan was phenomenal in the difficult, complex concerto, placing
extra emphasis on the folk-song influence in the piece and adding
vigorous, authentic Armenian flavoring. The concerto may have been
written for the Russian master David Oistrakh, but it belongs to
Simonyan now. Simonyan possesses such mastery over the violin that he
could concentrate on expression instead of technique.
The second-movement threnody for an Armenian genocide that occurred
about a century ago was emotionally moving. Simonyan and Macelaru were
in step all the way.
Simonyan followed up his Khachaturian triumph with a solemn encore he
called `An Armenian Prayer,' a traditional piece with an unknown
composer.
In the program's featured piece, Aaron Copland's Symphony No. 3,
Macelaru did everything right as he navigated the polyphonic
cross-currents of melodies that build a quiet sense of dignity
punctuated by full-bloom heroism, especially in the brassy, percussive
`Fanfare for the Common Man' theme that dominates the final movement.
The brass section sometimes was not at its best, but the wind and
percussion sections were outstanding. Macelaru has a strong knack for
bringing out the big moments. He received some of his conductor
training from Rice University's Larry Rachleff, a former San Antonio
Symphony music director, and it shows.
Macelaru's conducting was self-assured throughout the concert,
including a zippy rendition of the familiar `Ruslan and Ludmila'
overture by Mikhail Glinka.
The program will repeat at 8 p.m. Saturday (May 26) at the Majestic Theatre.
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/the-music-beat/2012/05/review-san-antonio-symphony-34/